Recovery
by Designation M
Summary: Sequel to "The Bite." Takes place whilst Patch is recovering from his grevious injuries. He must not only cope with lack of mobility but also the constant doting of a family who loves him and have almost lost him. PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS!
1. Adjusting

**Recovery**

**I - Adjusting **

* * *

They were home, all of them. But it wouldn't be long now before the Radcliff's and their newly acquired members of their family are relocated to a piece of land that better suits their needs.

Their need for space especially since there was now a hundred and one Dalmatians instead of just 17.

It had been a little over two weeks since the return home from the nightmare that has been brought upon the Pongo's and their puppies by the scheming, sinister, self-serving, mentally-unstable narcissist, Cruella de Vil.

Due to her mental breakdown from the failure of her plans as well as the loss of her freedom and her prized fur coat, she had been committed to the Bethlem Royal Hospital, otherwise known as Bedlam, where she might get the help she so desperately needs.

As for her cohorts, Horace and Jasper, the ruffians who were tasked by Cruella with the abduction of the 15 puppies, had been soundly captured about three days after they had abandoned the job and fled Hell Hall.

The Inspector had mentioned something rather curious of how Jasper had been raving madly about being attacked by the Hound of Baskervilles. He did have some rather nasty bites on his hand and wrist - which was starting to fester - so his story was not entirely fantastic. And of course, Horace had a rather nasty bite as well but not nearly as severe.

The Radcliff's were rather alarmed by this report. They regarded their Dalmatian companions, Pongo and Perdita with considerable concern. The Inspector of course had assured them their dogs have no need to fear any legal action considering that it was their puppies that were being threatened and if it were indeed either of them who had savaged the Badun's, they were only doing what any mother and father would do. Besides Jasper would receive no sympathy when it was revealed what he and his brother were planning to do the 99 Dalmatian puppies, even though they were doing so on Ms. de Vil's orders. Not to mention the terrible abuse Jasper had done to the eldest of the 15 puppies he and his brother had stolen.

The Radcliff's soundly thanked the Inspector for his compassion and understanding.

And now preparations were underway for the relocation or moving out for the Radcliff's and their Dalmatian family. Roger managed to find a farm which was more than suitable and the owner was ready to part with it that he would've kissed Roger's feet to sell it to him.

The farm had been purchased and made available for moving in. However, it would be a day or two before the Radcliff's were ready to move out. There was still some packing to do and final preparations to make, such as making sure a certain pup was ready to make the long journey.

Patch, the eldest pup of the original 15, laid their on the throw pillow which was laid on the cushioned windowsill of the Radcliff house. His broken ribs were set back and a medical brace was applied. The wounds on his back and on his head have already scabbed over and were now barely noticeable, if you don't look too closely.

His youngest sister, Cadpig sat right beside him, wishing to keep him company and to see if there was anything she could, however small, to alleviate the anguish of his recovery.

"Is it painful Patchy?"

"No Cadpig, just sore."

Patch adjusted himself groggily, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't the throw pillow, it was the condition he was in. Resetting his broken bones was the worst part. The slow recovery however was just ghastly. It felt sore whenever he took a deep enough breath so he had to take easy breaths. The wounds on his back and head itched, but at least they didn't hurt anymore, so long as you didn't touch them. And the antibiotics he had to take regularly made him drowsy but the daily soreness made it hard for him to nod off.

"Can I get you anything?" Cadpig asked softly.

"No Caddy, I'm just fine, really."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yes!" Patch said in frustration.

Cadpig recoiled, hurt clearly shown on her face.

Patch immediately regretted his outburst. "I'm sorry Cadpig, I shouldn't have yelled. This...this whole thing is just such a bother. I've been stuck on this pillow for two weeks. I can't do much aside from a few walks. Eating is a pain, literally and I have to down these nasty pills everyday."

He looked at his sister straight in the eye, calming down a bit. "But I shouldn't have taken it out on you, I'm sorry."

Cadpig smiled sweetly and gave her brother a kiss. "It's ok. I know it's hard, but it won't be long now. We'll be leaving for the new place soon, maybe tomorrow. Won't it be fun."

Patch chuckled skeptically. "Yeah, fun." He slumped into the throw pillow.

Cadpig looked at him sympathetically. "I'll come check on you later Patch, ok?"

"Sure Caddy, thanks."

* * *

Patch had nodded off,but not for very long. The soreness that came with the healing process kept him awake. He looked about and saw that it was nighttime.

And seeing that he was no longer on the windowsill, it would seem that he had been moved while he slept.

He also saw that he wasn't alone. All of the remaining 99, plus his parents were soundly asleep.

Patch sighed. _Here they are sleeping like babies and I can't seem to sleep a wink._

Patch winced as a surge of discomfort shot up through his ribs, along his shoulders and into his head, causing a momentary migraine.

_Ugh. Well, it was certainly worse right when I first received treatment._

The injuries Patch received during the Cruella scheme were grievous. Certainly serious but thankfully not life-threatening, but very nearly. Patch's heart had stopped beating but miraculously, his life returned, just long enough for him to receive necessary treatment.

And ever since, Patch had been doted on by his family, much to his discomfort. Penny would always make sure Patch was awake in the morning. She nearly panicked when he would not stir from sleep one morning. Turns out the tranquilizer he had been given to quell the pain was a bit stronger than anticipated.

_My momentary death is still an open wound for Penny. Healing might take longer for her._

Pepper and Freckles would take it upon themselves that Patch always had company.

_Those two are as thick as thieves, hard to dislike their company, but still…_

Cadpig of course, bless her little heart, was adamant to alleviate whatever suffering Patch was going through. Although her efforts were indeed genuine, her constant doting seemed to annoy Patch more than heal him. On the other paw, her efforts to love Patch and help whenever she could did make it easy for him not to get too annoyed.

Patch smiled to himself. _Hard to get upset with a face like that._

And then there was his parents. They were especially attentive of him - especially his mother, Perdita - making sure he was fed, helping him feed himself even though he was perfectly capable of doing it himself, even moving him about whether he was in too much pain or just too drowsy to move on his own.

_Hopefully it won't be long before I recover completely. I don't know how much more of this attention I can take._

Granted, he did die, even if it was only for a few minutes. That would make any loving family want to make sure that everything was alright.

_I can't blame them, not really._

However, it was not just the constant doting that bothered him, but also the lack of attention from one particular person.

_Lucky._

Ever since they came home, Lucky had been distant and very quiet. He had not been himself. Not even when they watched Thunderbolt on the telly, Lucky would not even stand himself up off the bottom of the screen like he always did.

He didn't even have much of an appetite. Not even when presented with his favorite treat, it was like nothing particularly interested him.

But more disturbing was that Lucky seemed to be avoiding Patch. He didn't even want to look in his direction.

_Does he still blame himself for what happened to me?_

Patch scanned the room for any trace of his little brother. It wasn't hard to find him as he was at the far end of the room by himself.

_Oh Lucky._

Managing to harness some of his old strength, Patch picked himself. He very carefully stepped off the throw pillow and tiptoed around the mass of sleeping bodies which filled the room.

As he drew closer to his brother, he noticed that he was shaking.

Trembling really.

_He can't be cold. All the windows are closed and we have fur._

Once Patch was only a few steps away, his ears picked up the sound of soft, moaning whimpers. Patch froze upon hearing this.

_He's having a nightmare._

Patch walked around his brother so that might see his face only to find that he was covering his eyes with his left paw.

"...Patchy."

Patch's eyes widened, any trace of tiredness left him, startled by Lucky's sudden words.

_Is he talking in his sleep?_

"...I'm...sorry…"

Patch cocked an eyebrow. _Why is he apologizing? Is he apologizing to me?_

Lucky's whimpers became even more heightened. His trembling worsened.

Patch had had enough. Crouching, he nudged Lucky with his nose, trying to rouse him.

He whispered, "Lucky?"

The pup hardly stirred. He just continued to shake in his sleep.

Patch turned his head to see if any one of his family had stirred. Fortunately, all of them seemed to be sound asleep.

_Seems a bit contrived that not one of them has woken up to Lucky's crying._

Patch nudged Lucky with more force and he raised his voice. "Lucky?"

The young pup groaned slightly but it sounded like he was in pain.

This time, Patch nudged Lucky with his paw, gently pushing him. "Lucky, wake up."

With a groan, Lucky opened his eyes. They were brimming with tears. He looked up to see his big brother looking at him.

"Patch?" he croaked.

Patch smiled. "You ok little brother?"

Lucky covered his face with his paws and the sounds of sobbing could be heard, albeit they were muffled.

Patch looked at his brother aghast.

_Just looking at me would reduce Lucky to tears._

"Hey hey, easy Luck," Patch said as he laid his head against his brother's.

This time, Lucky did not resist his brother's affection, he leaned into it.

"It's ok Luck, whatever it was, it was only a dream."

"I-it felt...so real," Lucky sobbed. "You died...and...I...I couldn't stop it."

Patch said nothing. He didn't know what to say at this point. For now he simply stayed by Lucky's side, trying his best to bring what little comfort he had to offer.

"I'm alive Lucky," Patch said soothingly. "That Badun failed to kill me and I'm alive and quite well." His voice became firm. "And you're not to blame for what happened and no one ever never has."

"It...it's not just that," Lucky wheezed. "I...I saw her."

Patch's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"

"She…" Lucky said quivering. "She was...literally...a monster."

"How do you mean?"

Lucky gulped and took a deep breath. "She...she was driving that devil car of hers. We were in this moving truck, all of one hundred and one of us. She was gaining and…" Lucky paused to rub his eyes as new tears started to form. "I was on the edge and her face…that horrible face...she looked so angry...more than angry…she seemed mad, like stark-raving mad, even possessed."

_You can say that again._

"And the truck, it went out of control...we crashed...but there was fire everywhere...it was as if the truck crashed into a forest that caught fire."

Patch stared at his brother but nodded. "What happened to us?"

"I don't know," Lucky answered. "Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of the forest. Everything was ablaze. I saw pieces of the wrecked truck everywhere...but…" Lucky was trembling now. "But...I couldn't see any of the others...Mum, Dad, Cadpig, Roly, Penny, Freckles...it was as if they vanished…" Lucky was beginning to cry again. "I was all alone...and I could hear her coming."

_Oh Lucky._

"And then I saw her," he said shakily. "It was like she was in shadow and she had something in her hand, something small and...spotted. She stepped into the light...and she looked...well...her body was twisted...warped...like she had been broken and stretched."

Lucky squeezed his eyes shut. "Her eyes...oh merciful Heaven...they were the worst part...they were pitch black, like the eyes of a spider...her teeth...were like needles…and then I realized she was smiling...but worse yet, I saw you Patch...that was you I saw in her hand...you were bleeding really bad...even worse wh-when we found you in that room that night...when Jasper killed you…"

Lucky laid his head back down and no longer held back his tears, but did his very best to muffle them as he did not wish to disturb his family.

Patch laid down beside him, laying his head on top of his. "She's gone Lucky, the mad lady is gone, for good this time."

"But dad said the same thing when-"

Patch cut him off. "Yes, but he didn't know what she was capable of then. But now she has nothing left. You heard what Roger said, the devil woman cracked and now she will be put away for a very long time. The Badun's too. We never have to worry about them ever again."

Lucky was comforted by this but was not entirely convinced. "But what if she gets out? What if she comes after us? What if-"

"Luck!" Patch said sternly and firmly. "Don't even think that. Don't let yourself think like that. What if's amount to nothing. Dad always said that thinking the worst is going to happen is an absolute waste of time and a misuse of your thought life."

Lucky looked at Patch. "That was awfully elegant of you."

Patch chuckled nervously. "Well, that's how Penny put it and...I kind of borrowed it from her."

Lucky giggled. "She's pretty smart isn't she?"

Patch nodded. "Just like mother." His voice took a serious tone. "Now, do you understand now Lucky?"

Lucky looked sullen but no longer upset. "I guess so."

"We're going to be ok Lucky, soon we'll be gone halfway across the country and that devil woman...well…let's just say she won't be getting out of Bedlam anytime soon."

Lucky cocked an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Bedlam. That's the place where people who go strange in the head go and they don't leave until they're either sane or dead. In other words, we'll never see her again."

Lucky didn't smile but he seemed to relax a bit. "Wow, I actually feel sorry for her."

"I know what you mean."

Lucky looked up at his big brother. "Patch?"

"Yeah Luck?"

"Could you...stay with me?"

Patch smiled. "Of course, just need to get my pillow first."

A voice spoke from behind him.

"Here you go Patch."

Patch nearly cried out in surprise before turning quickly to see who had just addresses so suddenly.

"Wha!? Penny?!"

Penny, the eldest sister of the original 15, stood there smiling that mischievous smile of hers whenever she was up to something or knew something no else did.

Patch started to pant anxiously. "How long have you been awake?"

Penny shrugged. "Long enough. Here." Using her nose, she nudged a throw pillow in Patch's direction.

Patch barely paid attention to the pillow. "What'd you hear?" he asked nervously.

Penny put on a face of innocence. "Nothing you need to worry about."

"Penny…"

"Hey relax Patchy, we may be pups, but ridiculing one of my siblings for being there for another sibling is beneath me."

"Oh," Patch said. "Good."

Penny yawned. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Alright." Patch yawned as well. "Good night Penny."

"Good night," she said before giving him a kiss. "Love you."

"I love you too."

Penny then regarded the pup lying beside Patch. "Love you Lucky." She bent down to give him a kiss goodnight as well.

Lucky sniffled. "Love you too sis."

Before she turned to return to where she was sleeping, she leaned towards Patch to whisper.

"Good job."

Patch looked at her slightly confused. Penny simply smiled and motioned her eyes towards Lucky.

_Oh. _

Patch's eyes shot open.

_She was on the other end of the room. If she overhead me and Lucky, then who else might've overheard?_

Managing to keep from panicking, Patch looked over the sea of spots, trying to find some sign of movement among them. He found none.

"Patch?"

"Yes Lucky?" he answered.

"We should get back to bed now."

_Good idea._

Patch laid back down his throw pillow. Lucky laid close to him so that he could lay his head on top of Patch's back.

"Does this hurt?" he asked.

"Not at all."

"Good night then Patch," Lucky said nuzzling him but being careful not to do so too hard.

"Good night Luck."

Lucky whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too little brother."

* * *

In less than a minute, both pups were sound asleep. And this time, both slept very soundly, comforted by each other's warmth and presence.

Just across the room, a single eye was open and had been open ever since Patch stood up, approached the youngest among the 15 and comforted him in his time of need.

What was tiredness in that eye, now it was glowing pride.

"That's my boy," Pongo whispered before he shut his eye and nodded off.


	2. Moving Forward

**Recovery**

**II - Moving Forward**

* * *

"Go Thunderbolt!" Lucky cried.

"After him Thunder!" Freckles said excited.

"Get that dirty extortionist Thunder!" Patch cried as well.

The 99 Dalmatian puppies watched on the telly of the soon to be departed Radcliff house. Not the first for the one-hundred and one but it would be the last in the Radcliff residence. Moving day would be first thing in the morning.

They were viewing their favorite program which was among one of the most popular television shows of the 60's, beloved by both man and mutt, Thunderbolt the Wonder Dog.

Thunderbolt was relentlessly pursuing the bearded leader of a gang of extortionists who had tried to lose the cunning canine in a thick forest. Much good it did him as it only slowed down the criminal and Thunderbolt was effortlessly tracking him down.

"Did he honestly think he could lose him in a forest?" Patch said.

"He's getting desperate," Jewel said.

It was true. This criminal being pursued by the Wonder Dog had the look of one being chased down by the devil himself. Sweat poured down his brow and into his beard. He was out of breath and barely had any comprehension of where he was going.

The chase took him out of the wood and right to an abandoned home which appeared to belong to a rich man. The extortionist ran inside and Thunderbolt was not far behind.

The extortionist attempted to flee up a flight of stairs, only to be trapped by a hallway that had collapsed through the floor due to wood decay.

It was a dead end.

The extortionist reached into his jacket and pulled out a revolver. But before he could take aim, Thunderbolt had already reached him, catching the crook's gun hand in his teeth.

The 99 barked with excited vigor as though cheering Thunderbolt on.

"Alright kids," said a certain voice just outside the living room.

It was Pongo.

"Settle down now," he said as he was walking into the room. "It's almost time to put your new tags on and…" Pongo looked at what the puppies were watching. "And...and…"

Thunderbolt was in the process of dragging the criminal towards the stairs. The extortionist is desperately trying to break free. He manages to wrench his wrist free and runs for the stairs, but Thunderbolt managed to stop him short by grabbing his booted foot in his teeth, thus leaving the criminal dangling above the stairs on one foot.

Pongo's eyes could not look away.

_It's...it's just like…_

Thunderbolt opened his mouth, sending the criminal tumbling down the stairs. He hit the bottom with a sickening crunch.

"Whoa-ho-ho, brutal!" Cadpig cried in excited delight.

The extortionist laid unconscious on the floor, the sleeve of his jacket in tatters with bite marks on the wrist. Thunderbolt stood at the top of the stairs, looking upon the criminal with contempt. He shook his head in pity, walked down the stairs and exited the abandoned mansion.

"_Thunderbolt is victorious,_" the announcer said in closing in his usual stern and severe tone whenever the show took a grim turn. "_The wicked and the corrupt have received their comeuppance once more. Those who prey on the weak are cowardly by nature and this is the story of all evil men. But know this, Thunderbolt took no pleasure in this grisly action. It was necessary to subdue this criminal by any means in order to safeguard those who would otherwise fall prey to this criminal. We hope you enjoyed this program. Tune in next week on this day and hour, on the Adventures of Thunderbolt the Wonder Dog._"

And the show faded to black, with another voice playing, queuing the Kanine Krunchies ad.

"That was pretty dark," Freckles commented.

"And oddly familiar," Dipstick said.

"How's that Dip?" Whizzer asked. "This is a new episode."

"I honestly cannot say, just a feeling of deja-vu."

Pongo stood rooted to the spot, his mind a tempest.

After a full minute, Penny finally took notice of him. "Dad? What's wrong?"

Pongo snapped out of his stupor. "O-oh, nothing Penny." He straightened himself out. "Children, off to bed now. Nanny is upstairs with your new name tags."

Letting out a few yawns, several of the pups protested that they were not tired while doing so, the 99 trodden upstairs without another word.

Save but a few.

Before ascending up the last flight of stairs, Penny looked back at her father and she was a bit startled by the look on his face.

He looked sullen, weary, even scared, as though he had seen a ghost.

_I know that this episode was darker than usual, but was it really that upsetting? _Penny furrowed her brows in deep thought. _Dipstick mentioned that that particular was rather familiar. Come to think of it, it does seem an awful lot like…_

Penny's eyes widened as she realized.

_Oh._

She continued up the stairs until she was out of sight. She peeked past the door at the top of the stairs to get one last look at her father.

_He's still hurting. He still feels responsible for what happened to Patch._

Penny noticed the shape lying down in front of the still-active television.

_Patch nodded off again. At least he won't need that medicine for much longer._

"PATCH!"

Penny almost jumped when she heard her father cry out.

The sound of scurrying paws came from the open door Penny stood at. Instinctively, she stood back to avoid being crashed into.

"Pongo?! What is it?!" Perdita cried, her children not far behind, all with frantic and near-panicked looks on their faces.

"Nothing dear, everything's alright," Pongo said, nearly out of breath. "Patch had just nodded off is all."

"Not anymore," Patch said trembling, clearly shaken from being woken up in such a way.

He looked up at his father. "You nearly scared the spots off of me dad."

Pongo looked both embarrassed and ashamed at the same time. "I'm sorry Patch. I...I don't know what came over me."

"I-it's alright dad," Patch said, still trembling. "Um...I'm just going to go to bed now."

"Do you need me to carry you?"

Frustrated, Patch nearly snapped the word 'no' but censored himself.

"No, it's alright dad. I can make it up the stairs."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes dad, really," Patch answered firmly. "I'll be alright."

With some effort, Patch ascended up the stairs, avoiding eye contact with any of his siblings, embarrassed as he was for the scene that had just been made.

With a nod from their mother, the rest of the puppies soon followed.

Perdita looked at her mate, who was in the process of turning the television off. She descended down the stairs.

The room now shrouded in darkness, Pongo turned to go upstairs only to come face to face with his beloved.

She looked quite severe.

Pongo sighed. "I think I may have embarrassed him."

"You think? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Pongo bowed his head. "I'm sorry Perdita, I'm...I'm sorry."

Perdita's features softened and she sighed as well. "Oh my dear Pongo, I know that the past month has been...beyond difficult but you cannot go on like this."

"Perdita...I…" Pongo said but didn't finish ashamed of himself, and he sighed in defeat.

Before Perdita could offer any word of comfort to her mate, she stopped as she detected a scent very close by.

Pongo got it too.

They both turned to see what it was.

Who it was.

Even in the dark, it is very difficult for a dog not to recognize the unique scent of one of their own pups.

"Penny!" Perdita said. "What on earth are you doing down here?!"

"Please go upstairs at once," Pongo said sternly.

"Mother, I think I know why dad got so upset just now."

Perdita didn't seem at all surprised. "You do?"

Penny nodded. "But I'm not sure if dad would-"

Pongo beat her to it. "It's alright Penny, you can tell her."

"Thank you." Penny turned to her mother. "I think tonight's Thunderbolt episode had upset dad, mother."

Perdita cocked an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"The way Ol' Thunder dispatched that bad guy, I think it was very similar to how dad dealt with that long-legged brute who hurt Patch."

Perdita gasped. She turned to Pongo. "Is this true?"

Pongo didn't look Perdita in the eye, but he nodded.

"Thank you Penny, go to bed now, I'll take it from here."

"Ok. Good night mother, good night dad."

And with that, their eldest daughter scurried back up the stairs to join her siblings.

Seeing that they were now alone at last, Perdita turned back to her husband.

Pongo chuckled. "I don't think I can get anything past her."

Perdita smiled. "She's very insightful isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

"Now then Pongo," Perdita began, trying to be as soothing as possible, "Are you alright?"

"I...no Perdita, I am not," Pongo said, almost gasping. "When I saw how that villain was attacked and then dropped down the stairs, I...it felt as though I was back at that horrible night. And when I saw Patch lying there in front of the telly, not moving, I...I panicked."

"Oh Pongo," Perdita whispered as she leaned in to nuzzle up against her mate's neck.

"A great weight is on my mind and heart Perdy," Pongo said, his voice breaking as he buried his eyes in his lover's shoulder. "Remorse. I have failed to keep our children safe and we almost lost our boy, our first boy, because I wasn't quick enough."

"No, no Pongo, that's not true," Perdita asserted. "You cannot feel so responsible, you tried your best. _We _tried our best."

"And it wasn't enough," Pongo rasped, tears now flowing from his eyes and into Perdita's fur, soaking it. "It was literally a miracle that we got Patch back. But...but what if we don't-"

"Pongo, stop right there!" Perdita said, almost shouting. "Don't you remember what you always told me about what if's?"

Pongo looked up. "Well...I…" he stammered at a loss.

"You know the answer to that. Vanity! That's what-if's are. Just evil foreboding as you put it, imagining that the worst will happen."

Pongo said nothing, he just listened attentively as his mate continued.

"It's a waste of time to dwell on such things, a waste of time and a misuse of your energy with absolutely no practical value. Thinking on such things is no way to live Pongo, that's what you always said, isn't it?"

Pongo stared at his wife, he had stopped crying, but tears still flowed but only slightly now.

Perdita licked his tears away. "Do you understand dear?"

Pongo chuckled. "You certainly have a way of using my own words against me Perdy."

Perdita smiled sweetly. "As do you."

Pongo wiped his eyes and nose with the back of his paw.

"Now tell me you understand," Perdita said firmly.

"Y-Yes," Pongo said shakily. "I understand."

"And what do you understand?"

"I...I need to pull myself together, stop this negative thinking and move forward. Evil foreboding is poisonous."

Perdita gave Pongo a kiss. "Exactly."

Pongo yawned. "I should apologize to Patch, next chance I get."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea love."

Pongo rubbed his nose up against Perdita's. "Thank you Perdy."

She giggled. "Anytime dear."

* * *

"Are you alright Patch?"

"I'm...I'm just fine Penny, just a little frustrated and a little embarrassed."

"You know dad means well, don't you?"

Patch groaned. "Of course I do, it's just...it's just...I don't like this. I'm not made of glass and he just freaks out just out of the blue."

Penny sighed. "Dad was scared Patchy."

"Why?"

"Because of that Thunderbolt episode we just watched."

Patch looked at her. "What?"

Penny nodded. "It's true. That episode we just saw, how Thunderbolt took out that criminal, it was just like what dad did to that Badun who hurt you, you know, Jasper?"

Patch's mouth dropped, he couldn't help it. "Seriously?"

"Yes, when he saw what we were watching, he just froze up. He looked like he saw a ghost."

_Maybe he did,_ Patch thought. "And when he found me sleeping?"

Penny looked stricken. "I suppose he thought you were...you know."

Patch was shocked. "Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_."

Patch looked downward. "He's still hurting?"

"He is. I think he blames himself."

"But why?" Patch asked.

"Because...well, I think he thinks he failed you Patchy, failed to keep you safe from harm."

"No," Patch breathed. "No, no it wasn't his fault. It was them, that devil woman and those Badun's. They did this to us, they are responsible, not mom and dad."

"I know," Penny cried. "But that's how dad feels guilty all the same."

_Has he been feeling this way the whole time?_

"You and dad should talk," Penny said.

"I know."

* * *

**Hope ya'll enjoyed this one. Please, please leave reviews. I do love hearing what ya'll have to say about my stories. Stay tuned, Chapter 3 will come soon. Blessings and be lovely to each other.**


	3. Homecoming

**Recovery**

**III - Homecoming**

* * *

It was time. Everything had been packed and prepared for transport. The new dog tags, which contained their new home address and contact information, have been applied to the one-hundred and one's collars. And now the time for departure was at hand (or paw) and it was high time to bid the former Radcliff residence adieu.

Two trucks had to be supplied in order to compensate for the furniture and the puppies. Given that the trip would take more than 3 hours, the 101 would need to be kept quite busy.

And of course, precautions would have to be taken in order to transport them safely.

Especially for Patch.

Each Dalmatian had been fitted for a safety harness and the floor of the truck's rig had a safety padding laid down for safety and comfort.

Almost all of the puppies have been safely secured in the truck.

"78…79…80…"

Pongo was in the process of making sure every single one of the puppies were accounted for as they entered the truck. As a precaution in case he lost count, the Pongo's arranged for every puppy to have a partner or partners. In the event that any pup was missing, that pup's partner need only notify the Pongo's. That way, no one gets left behind.

"98...99….annnnd…" Pongo paused. Everything seemed to be in order. All 99 were accounted for and it just left Perdita and himself, which now makes a hundred and one.

But just to be sure.

"Alright," Pongo said, raising his voice to make himself heard. "Children, you all know your assigned partners. For those who are missing their partners, please speak out now."

All puppies looked about, looking to each other as though to confirm the pup they were with was there. None called out.

Pongo smiled. "Alright, so everyone is here? All 99? Whizzer?"

A certain pup with black ears and a slightly anxious and self-conscious expression spoke up. "I'm here dad, me and Fidget."

The pup next to him, who was frantically scratching himself, spoke up as well. "W-w-w-w-e-e-e are here and a-a-a-a-accounted for as you say dad," he stammered in his usual fidgety manner.

Pongo nodded. "Jewel? Two-Tone?"

"We're here father," said a female pup with very well-kept fur and a subtle but noticeable diamond pattern of spots around her neck.

Another female pup nodded in confirmation, one sitting next to Jewel, one who's right ear was completely spotless while her right ear was black; also, the left side of her body was heavily spotted and the right side barely had any spots at all. Thus the name Two-Tone was more than appropriate.

All seemed to be present with their respective partners. Pepper and Freckles. Thunder and Dipstick. Spotty and Purdy. And due to the odd number of pups, Lucky was paired up with Cadpig and Roly.

And of course, Penny and Patch. Patch was resting and Penny was laying on top of him, not resting but simply staying close to her brother.

All the remaining 99 were confirmed to be present as well. All have been fastened in their safety harnesses. The only harnesses presently unoccupied were the ones meant for Pongo and Perdita. And only a hundred and one were rented. This means all were accounted for after all.

Pongo sighed deeply in relief. "Good. Everyone is here."

Perdita chuckled. "No more counting for a while dear." She kissed him and they both shared a laugh together.

* * *

They were on the road, one hour off.

There was not much to see as the moving van had no windows and the only opening was through the back of the truck, which was sealed for safety.

Becoming quite bored with the long wait, most to all of the pups fell asleep. Some engaged in some form of activities in order to keep themselves busy.

Puppies were playfully biting each other's ears. Wrestling was not much of an option since they were all fastened and harnessed. Those closest to the back of the truck were pointing out whatever interesting landmark or oddity they were passing by.

They even started telling each other stories, recollecting on past events, such as how they all ended up at Hell Hall. And naturally, it all leads to the one part in that story of how Patch, in the face of certain death, just when Lucky was about to be clubbed to death, defended them all in perhaps the most uncanny and reckless manner imaginable: latching onto the hand of that long-legged Badun and biting down as hard as he could, sending the scoundrel into a tirade of rage and exquisite pain.

It was scary to recollect but at the same time, perhaps the highlight of the whole experience for those who witnessed it.

"It was amazing!"

"Yeah, never seen anything like it!"

"It was pretty scary," Cadpig said. "But it was incredible. I never seen Patch so brave."

Lucky nodded with a grim smile. "He saved my life."

Cadpig affectionately nuzzled into Lucky's neck. "Yeah. Oh Lucky, I was so scared. I'm so glad you're alive."

Lucky chuckled. "I'm glad Patch is alive."

"Yes, very much so," Cadpig agreed.

"A blooming hero, that what he is!" Whizzer cried. "A blooming hero!"

All the puppies aboard cheered in agreement.

Patch however, seemed to pay no attention. He just wanted to sleep, not get another headache from all the attention.

It wasn't just the trip, it was the medication. One of the last doses as Patch was remarkably a fast healer. Of course, he still had another week of healing before he can return to his full range of motion.

The medication had left him groggy so he simply rested, trying to ignore the noise around him.

Penny laid beside him, keeping him company and watching over him to see to it that he went through as little discomfort as possible on this trip. Patch didn't seem to mind in the least, so long as his rest wasn't disturbed too often.

"How are you holding up?" Penny whispered.

"Ok," Patch answered. "I suppose it would be pointless to ask if we're there yet?"

Penny shook her head. "Not at all. By the way the sun looks, I'd say we're almost halfway there."

Patch looked at her. "You can tell the time by reading the sun?"

"Mom showed me how once."

Patch chuckled inwardly. _Of course she did._

"Sooooo…." Penny said.

"So?"

"Are you upset about last night?" Penny asked.

"Last night? What do you mean?"

Penny lowered her voice to a slight whisper. "When dad panicked and scared you?"

"Oh, that." Patch shook his head "No, not really."

"Would you like to talk to dad now?"

Patch looked her incredulously. "Now?"

Penny thought for a moment. "Might not be the best time. Perhaps it's best to wait for a more private time."

_Good idea._

* * *

Freckles barked as loud as he could. It left his throat feeling tight.

"No no no," Pepper said. "Thunderbolt's bark was more like this." He attempted his best heroic bark yet but it came out strangled at the end of it.

"You're joking," Two-Tone said. "You sound like you're dying."

"Two-Tone, be nice," Perdita said sternly.

"Yes mama."

"How about this?" Thunder cried happily before letting out a high-pitched bark.

"I think you can do better Thunder," Spotty said.

"Alright, let me try again," Thunder said before letting out a bark with a bit more vigor.

"Not bad," Spotty said sounding impressed.

Thunder grinned proudly. "I practiced."

"Hey Patch," Cadpig said, regarding her brother who was still resting his eyes.

He stirred but didn't respond.

Cadpig repeated herself. "Patch?"

Penny nudged him. "Patch, wake up."

"Huh? Wha-?" Now fully awake, Patch observed his surroundings and saw that his siblings were looking at him. He yawned. "What? What is it?"

"Can you do the Thunder Bark?" Cadpig asked.

"Excuse me?"

"We're all trying to do the Thunder Bark," Freckles said. "We want to see if you can do it."

"Why?" Patch asked groggily.

"Why?!" Pepper said incredulously. "Because it's fun. C'mon Patch."

"I don't know," Patch said.

"Awww, pleeeeeese," Cadpig whined.

Patch looked at her. His left eye twitched as he looked upon Cadpig's face, who was staring at him with those big eyes.

_So unfair._

"Fine," Patch said as he stood up.

The others watched in anticipation. Cadpig's eyes were shining.

Patch cleared his throat. He took a breath.

He barked, but it didn't sound like a bark.

It sounded more like someone had sat on a squeaky toy.

Patch froze up, eyes wide.

_Did...did that just come out of me?_

His eyes darted around the inside of the moving truck's cargo hold. All the remaining 101 looked at him incredulously.

Some had looks of utter bewilderment.

Some simply looked shocked as though they couldn't believe that such a sound came out of Patch's mouth.

Even the parents looked quite taken aback but they had looks of understanding of course.

And then someone choked as though they were holding back a snicker.

Penny, Pepper, and Freckles on instinct, turned their heads toward the source of the sound, all glaring intensely.

The sound ceased at once.

Penny's angry expression fell and she looked back at her brother.

She saw that Patch was hunched over and was now looking even more embarrassed than when she saw him last night.

"Uh Patch? Are you ok?"

Patch didn't answer. He just continued to look down at the floor.

"Don't worry Patch," Pepper said smiling awkwardly. "It wasn't _that _bad."

"Never heard a bark like that before," Roly said thoughtlessly.

"Roly!" Lucky exclaimed, nudging the pudgy pup.

Managing to rekindle his courage, Patch more thoroughly cleared his throat and he barked again.

A squeaky bark came out once more.

Sharp gasps came throughout the truck.

Patch laid down on the floor, covering his eyes in shame.

"Patch," Pongo said sympathetically. "It's alright. You're still young, your bark's just not quite there yet."

Patch said nothing.

Pongo sighed. He leaned in to whisper. "I'd like for us to talk soon son."

"Me too," Patch whispered back.

* * *

The back of the truck had been opened and a ramp applied so that all of the one-hundred and one could exit.

One by one, they went down the ramp.

And like a bag of marbles that spilt on the floor, the puppies ran in all directions on the vast land of their new home, an old cherry tree farm in Little Titchfield, Devon, a county in Southwest England, almost 84 miles southwest of Bristol.

It was even better than than they imagined it.

The farm was vast indeed and had more than enough room to compensate for one-hundred and one Dalmatians. It had a farmhouse, which was substantially bigger than their old flat and a large barn, big enough to fit them and then some. It had a pond and fields as far as the eye could see. It also had a large corral where several cows have been grazing.

And much to the delight of certain pups, there was a henhouse and several chickens just minding their own business.

That is, until Thunder and Dipstick started chasing them. The chickens in a panic, ran in all directions, which only seemed to encourage the two in their pursuit. They followed after one particularly fattened chicken around the corner of the henhouse, barking and laughing excitedly.

A few seconds later, both Thunder and Dipstick ran back the way they came, both with terrified looks on their faces.

And an angry turkey was following after them gobbling wildly.

Meanwhile, Freckles, Two-Tone, Spotty and Fidget were playing in the pond.

Two-Tone and Spotty were swimming happily, while Fidget was constantly struggling in the water, not because he couldn't swim but because he had a bad itch. Freckles was chasing after a frog, which was hopping from lily pad to lily pad. Freckles thoughtlessly mimicked the frog's actions, hopped onto a lily pad and submerged into the pond. He eventually came out of the water, with a lily pad nestling on his head like a bizarre, deflated hat.

The rest of the 99 were either frolicking in the fields, - racing or chasing one another - exploring the barn or the farmhouse, or mingling among the other animals (Penny in particular was being dragged in the dirt by a cow as she had its tail in her teeth).

Patch however was not frolicking with the others. He didn't play in the pond, or run about in the field, or even harassed any of the chickens. He simply laid on the front porch of the farmhouse. He was content with simply watching his siblings at play, exhausted as he was.

"Are you alright Patch?" Pongo asked, sitting next to him.

"Yes dad, I just…" Patch yawned before continuing, "...had a long day."

"Son, I'd like to talk to you."

Patch looked up at his father. "Ok."

Pongo's face became grave and ashamed. "I want to apologize for last night, I didn't mean to frighten you and embarrass you like that."

Patch did not answer at first. He gave his father his full attention and his silence seemed to urge him to continue.

Pongo took a deep breath and exhaled. "What happened on that terrible night has been...a great weight on my mind and heart Patch."

Patch listened intently. His heart felt like it was being wrenched and his throat began to tighten.

Pongo continued. "I...I feared that I had failed to protect you Patch." His voice began to break. "And last night...when I saw that uncanny resemblance on the telly and you, lying so still on the floor, I was afraid."

Patch's eyes began to fill with tears. "Oh dad," he said, his voice breaking as well.

Pongo bowed his head, tears flowing from his eyes. "When I heard you cry out, followed by that terrible crash, I've never been so scared in my life. I thought we had lost you. Your mother...oh your dear mother...when she found you…"

* * *

_A scream._

_A terrible, heart-ripping scream of anguish._

_As he heard his mate scream, Pongo felt like his heart was being grounded into dust. His own anguish of finding his dear son dead had already shattered his own heart._

* * *

"Your mother Patch...I've never seen her so broken in my entire life."

Tears flowed freely down Patch's cheeks as he sobbed softly. Pongo scooted over and laid his head across his son's back, crying with him.

"And when you came back," Pongo said with a laugh of relief that seemed to echo the one he let out when the blessed miracle actually occurred, "oh Patch, you don't know how happy I was, how happy your mother was, how happy your brothers and sisters were, especially dear little Lucky."

Patch's sobs subsided a bit as he took this in. "I'm sorry for putting you and the others through all that dad."

"Patch, don't you dare apologize! You have nothing to be sorry for. You have done me and your mother so proud Patch."

"I did?" Patch asked.

"Good Heavens, yes! You saved Lucky's life Patch! If you haven't acted when you did, your mother and I would've been too late, and Lucky wouldn't be here with us today."

Patch shuddered at the thought. The idea of not having that rascal around, it seemed unthinkable to him. That empty spot in the room when watching the telly, that empty spot at dinner, and the smile they'd never see again. The thought of it all ate at his heart and it made Patch realize just how much his little brother meant to him. At that point he understood what he did to save Lucky's life and what it almost cost him and realized he'd do it again and he knew it.

"I'd do it again," Patch said with resolve.

Pongo gasped inwardly at his son's answer. Even though it hurt him to hear that, he smiled a beaming, proud smile.

He nuzzled his boy, which caused him to giggle. "I pray to the Heavens son that you'll never have to."

As he took in his father's affection, Patch came close to tears once more. "I love you dad."

Pongo was in tears already. "I love you too son."

"And I accept your apology dad and I don't blame you."

"Thank you son."

"And…" Patch began. "I'm sure you did everything you could. What happened to me wasn't your fault."

Pongo was tempted to protest otherwise but remembering his own words of the vanity of _what-ifs_, - especially when his own mate relayed the same message to him - he bit back the retort.

"Yes and your mother and I will never let anything happen to you, any of you, ever again."

Patch smiled and his father returned the smile.

And there's something else you should know."

"Yeah dad?"

Pongo gave Patch a knowing smile. "I saw you the other night with Lucky."

Patch's eyes shot open. "You...did?"

"Yes, and I want to say you handled it very well."

"Really?"

"Yes," Pongo said beaming. "And I am so proud of you Patch."

Patch smiled happily. "Thanks dad." Then his expression fell as a thought occurred to him. "Was anyone else awake to see or hear all that dad?"

"You mean besides me, your mother and Penny? I really couldn't say."

"Mom was up too?!"

Pongo chuckled. "Don't be embarrassed son. We're all very proud of you and I'm deeply honored you took what I taught you to heart."

"Ok dad, you're embarrassing me," Patch said good-naturedly.

Pongo looked towards the open field of the farm and smiled. "Looks like your siblings are having a wonderful time out there Patch, why don't you join them?"

Patch looked surprised. "Really? Can I?"

"Of course," Pongo laughed. "If you're feeling up for it?"

Patch thought for a moment. Very carefully, he stretched his limbs and surprisingly, there was hardly any soreness at all.

"I think so."

"Go on then."

Patch grinned and gave his father one final loving nuzzle before he shot off the porch like a bolt.

Patch was as startled as his own father by how fast he was going.

"Go easy!" Pongo called out.

"I can't hear you!" Patch called back, already a good distance away.

Pongo chuckled.

* * *

Patch ran.

And he ran.

And he ran.

Faster than he had ever been, as far as he can remember.

And Patch had the biggest smile on his face,

_I feel like Thunderbolt!_

And then he saw in the distance of the field a few fast-moving shapes, black and white.

Patch grinned mischievously.

_Let's see how fast I can take the lead._

"Keep up Lucky!" Penny cried.

"I am! I am!" Lucky said, panting.

"C'mon Luck!" Freckles exclaimed, bumping into him playfully. "You can do it."

Next thing they knew, a black and white blur shot between them.

"Whoa!"

"What the?!"

Patch?" Penny said.

The mystery pup turned back to look at Penny.

And Patch gave her a wink.

A large smile stretched across Penny's face.

And she quickened her pace to keep up with her brother.

Lucky, seeing that his brother had apparently recovered, was more happy than he had ever been in a long time, chased after them, his youthful energy anew.

His newfound energy surprised Lucky almost as much as it did Freckles, who was steadily falling behind.

In mere moments, Lucky had passed Penny and caught up to Patch.

Patch did not see him.

And when he made a turn, he collided with Lucky.

He tripped.

And Lucky tripped over him as he fell.

And they both tumbled down the hill of the field.

With a sharp gasp, Penny ran after them. Freckles was not far behind.

* * *

Patch and Lucky rolled down the hill in a heap.

And right into another pond.

Fortunately, it was a shallow one.

Lucky emerged from the pond. He shook himself off. He looked about and saw that his big brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Patch?"

Lucky continued to look about but still saw no sign of Patch.

"Patch?!"

Then something caught Lucky's eye. There were bubbles in the pond just a few breadths in front of him. He leaned down to see what it was that was causing those bubbles.

And he got his answer in the form of a jet of water splashing in his face.

Said jet of water was spat out from Patch's mouth as he emerged out of the pond.

"Hey!" Lucky cried.

Patch laughed. "When did you get so fast?"

Wiping the wetness out of his eyes, Lucky looked at Patch. "Patch, you're all better."

Patch shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I certainly was until you crashed into me."

Lucky looked stricken. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No no! Only a joke Luck. I'm fine, really. I never felt better really."

Lucky smiled widely and his eyes began to sting. "Are you really? You promise?"

Patch grinned deviously. "If I was still hurting, could I doooooo _this?!_" And he pounced on Lucky, bringing him down into the pond.

While in the midst of their play fight, Penny and Freckles has already caught up to them. Upon seeing that neither of them were hurt, they relaxed.

Penny and Freckles looked at each other smiling, very happy to see their eldest brother doing quite well and their youngest looking happier than ever.

Smiling mischievously, Penny jumped into the pond and pounced onto Patch.

"Dogpile!" she cried playfully.

Pulling himself to his feet, Lucky joined in on the pile.

Patch laughed out loud as his first sister and younger brother had their way with him. Penny playfully tugged on his black ear with her teeth while Lucky was biting into his neck.

Freckles watched taking pleasure in this loving scene and he considered joining in as well.

He declined the thought of course.

_I think one bath is enough for today,_ he thought.

**The End**

* * *

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read my stories ya'll.**

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